Anthology 1: Cowboy Man

Lyle Lovett | Format: Audio Cassette

Product Details

• Audio Cassette (October 23, 2001)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Mca
• ASIN: B00005QGB9
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,330,615 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. The Truck Song

2. Cowboy Man

3. God Will

4. Farther Down the Line

5. This Old Porch

6. Why I Don't Know

7. If I Were the Man You Wanted

8. San Antonio Girl

9. If I Had a Boat

10. Give Back My Heart

11. I Loved You Yesterday

12. Walk Through the Bottomland

13. L.A. County

14. Which Way Does That Old Pony Run

15. If You Were to Wake Up

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

When he emerged in the mid-1980s at the dawn of new traditionalism, Lyle Lovett had more than a craggy visage to set him apart. His subtle wit, sly humor, and Texas-sized musical eclecticism made him a force. Built around 13 songs from his first three albums, this compendium resoundingly affirms those gifts. One hears his musical metamorphosis from the beginning, through the stomping blues of "Why I Don't Know," the honky-tonk talking blues "Give Back My Heart," and the folkier "L.A. County" and "If I Had a Boat." Nine numbers, including the Top 10 "Cowboy Man," appeared on singles (most as A-sides). The biggest oddities here are two newly recorded tracks, "The Truck Song" and "San Antonio Girl." They are Lovett's first new recordings in five years, and they share a nearly identical melody. Moreover, they really don't fit this context, though they may prompt hardcore fans to buy 13 songs they probably already own. Let's hope Lovett's working on an entire album where these two numbers will make more sense. --Rich Kienzle

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Writer's Block?, October 29, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Anthology, Vol. 1: Cowboy Man (Audio CD)

Including this cd, Lyle's last 4 releases have been: 1) a 2-disc set of cover tunes; 2) a live album; 3) an instrumental film score; and 4) a repackaging of songs from his first 3 albums. All of them have been great, but the sad fact is there hasn't been a "new" Lyle Lovett album since 1996's Road to Ensenada. Has the greatest musician and songwriter in the universe run out of fresh ideas? Say it ain't so! That said, for the true fans (like me) who already own those albums it probably isn't worth paying ... for just "The Truck Song" and "San Antonio Girl" (which you'll recognize from Lyle's live shows). For the rest of you, this is a collection well worth having. LL has been brilliant from the start, and these songs hold up to any of his more recent work. Enjoy!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Doesn't get much better than this!!!!, February 19, 2002

By 

Neil David F Olsen (Yellowknife, Northwest Territories Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Anthology, Vol. 1: Cowboy Man (Audio CD)

Once inserted into your CD player you will have great difficulty removing it. Lyle is up there with the greats and this brilliant collection sums him up very well to date. There are some omissions, I felt could have squeaked on here from "Pontiac", but for those of you new to the genius of Lyle Lovett you couldn't find a better place to start. This is a timeless and immediately classic collection. Not a dud tune on the whole CD. Once you've tried this, try "Live in Texas" for a different view of Lyle's extraordinarily diverse talents. However, if you like songs that you will find stick in your head all day, all week, all month and all year, then get this CD!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just what it says, October 25, 2001

By 

DC Peterson "Just happy to be here" (Morrison, Colorado United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Anthology, Vol. 1: Cowboy Man (Audio CD)

This anthology not only pulls basically from Mr. Lovett's first three albums (plus two new songs), but the songs are taken from the more C&W end of the spectrum of his songs as opposed to his big band or folkier material. He could make another anthology off of these first three albums called "No Hat Here", and it would be just as viable as this collection. Lovett has easily got several more volumes if the anthology series continues.

I'm a Texan in exile, and putting on this ceedee while eating some oak-smoked brisket with all of the fixins' will easily transport me a thousand miles back home.

To put this ceedee in barbecue terms, there's no fat or gristle here, just perfectly tender meat.